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Bees are dying in the U.S. and around the world, and it’s a major problem.

Millions of bees are dying off, with alarming consequences for our food supply. We rely on bees to pollinate 71 of the 100 crops that provide 90 percent of the world’s food. Imagine no almonds, less coffee, no chocolate, fewer apples and strawberries, less alfalfa to feed dairy cows ... the list goes on.

Scientists point to pesticides as one of the factors causing the die-off, in particular a class of bee-killing insecticides known as neonicotinoids (or neonics). In the U.S. alone, more than 46 million pounds of these chemicals are used in our homes, gardens and parks every year.

There Are Alternatives

Given the consequences for our farms and our food, you’d think we’d be doing all we can to protect bees and other pollinators from neonics. Scientists say that we don’t need to spray these chemicals all over our homes because we have commonsense alternatives—like staggering the time of planting and watering, and planting more native species.

But instead of exploring alternatives, giant corporations like Monsanto, Dow Chemical, Bayer and Syngenta are downplaying the risk of these chemicals.

Alarmed by the role these chemicals are playing in bee colony collapse disorder, the European Union has banned several of them, states like Maryland and Connecticut have banned the private sale of neonics, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has committed to phasing them out on the public lands they manage.

But even with so much evidence showing that this stuff needs to be banned, stores continue to sell these chemicals, which are then used in our gardens, parks and schools.

Imagine no almonds, less coffee and chocolate, fewer apples and strawberries, less ice cream and milk … the list goes on. Simply put, no bees means no food.

We Can Help Save The Bees

To restore bee populations to health and save our food supply, our national network is working to ban the sale of bee-killing pesticides for our homes, parks and gardens in 21 states around the country. And we’re working with local governments to ensure that these bee-killing pesticides are not used on any public property.

If enough states take action, we will eliminate the use of more than 40 percent of insecticides used in this country. That’s a lot of bees that we can save—bees that will pollinate our food. And collective action on that scale will send a strong signal to large chemical companies that we want them to stop poisoning our parks, homes and food with these products.

It’s absurd that we would continue to spray chemicals that are known to kill bees just as we’re in the midst of an unsustainable die-off in bee populations. That has to change. Now.

TAKE ACTION

Tell Our Governor: Ban Bee-Killing Pesticides

Join us in calling on our governor to protect bees and our food, and send a message that it’s time to take action for our health, and the health of the planet.